Composite boat and shoe.



G. P. BUTTERFIELD. COMPOSITE BOOT AND SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1o. 1913.

1,1 1 1,437. Patented Sept-.22, 1914 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. BUTTERFIELD, F WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOB T0GRACEI.

BUTTERFIELD, OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPOSITE BOOT AND SHOE.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it knownV that I, GEORGE F. BUTTER- FIELD, of West Newton, in thecounty of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Composite Boots andy Shoes, ofI

which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the production of an efficientwaterproof shoe with a limited amount of rubber in its sole portion,

' applied in vulcanizable condition .and shelllike form, and 'nonewhatever in the vamp or upper to interfere with foot ventilation. Thecomposite structure of my improved shoe is admirably adapted toaccomplish the ends desired. Its characteristic features will be firstdescribed-with reference to the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1is al longitudinal section and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of my improvedshoe.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof and Fig. 4 a sectionalrepresentation of the parts to be assembled.

The composite boot or shoe has a suitable vamp or upper, 7, preferablyof leather or canvas, a lining 8 of thin cotton and an inner sole 9 ofheavy textile fabric, frictioncoated with rubber cement or vulcanizablerubber on its under side, for permanent ad- 80 hesion when vulcanized tothe parts immediately beneath' it. Between the upper 7 and lining 8 attheir lower edges, where they turn inwardly under the margins of thetextile inner sole 9, I introduce a thin strip, say onelinch wide, ofrubber binding 10, which extends somewhat above the inner sole and allaround its sides and forward portion, such strip being coated`on bothsides with rubber cement so as to give ai absolutely water tight 'oint.Below the textile inner sole 9 is a t layer or sheet 1l of vulcanizablerubber, coming into immediate vcontact with the cement coated under side"of said inner sole and with the inward turned edges of the vamp orupper 7. At

this stage the sheet or layer 11 extends, marginally, considerablybeyond the insole and upper, around the entire bottom of the shoe.

A felt middle sole 12 here shown as hava substantial boss or heel shapedprotu erance 13, of less size than an ordinary heel, is a pliedimmediatelyl beneath the layer 11, st being thoroughly coated all overby immersion in rubber cement until saturated. The protuberance or heelboss y Specication of Letters Patent. i Patented Sept,` l22, 1914,v

l Application led July 10, 1913. Serial N o. 778,273.

13 may be formed integral with the felt middle sole or secured to it bysewing or otherwise. Itfforms a light and cheap filling for theshell-like body of the heel portion of the outsole, thus saving cost andweight of rubber. The seam 15, Fig. l, which extends around the entirebottom portion of the shoermly unites the inner sole 9, the vamp 7 andlining 8, the binding strip 10 between them, the thin rubber sheet l1and the felt middle sole 12, all being pressed and drawn into closecontact while the surfaces are adhesively coated as stated,-the shoe inprocess being mounted upon a last as will be understood.

The felt middle sole 12 and the heel boss 13 have a contour similar tothat of the outsole but are of less area than the latter. The projectingmargins of the rubber sheet or layer 11 may be turned down and under theouter edges of the middle sole 12, with the coated surfaces of whichsaid sheet will readily unite in vulcanizing. This would give a. rubberbinding to sald edges of the felt middle-sole and aid in the adhesion ofthe outer sole when applied. The preferred construction, however, isshown in Figs. 1 and 3, where the margins of the rubber layer 11 areturned down outside, rather than inside, of the upright edge-wall of theheel and sole.

The outer sole or shoe bottom 14 is of shell-like form, its entiremarginbeing raised above its sunken interior so as to surround and protect thethickened felt middle sole and heel-boss and to merge, in vulcanizing,with the downward-turned margins of the rubber sheet or layer l1. This'ves the effect or appearance of a heavy ru ber sole while, owing to thefelted interior, the shoe is unusually light. Moreover it furnishes asubstantial edge wall of rubber'for the composite sole.

The shoe bottom 14, complete, is formed of vulcanizable rubber, shapedin a suitable mold and vulcanized while the other parts of the compositeshoe are held fast upon it during the operation by suitable clampingmechanism, the various rubber and rubbercoated parts being therebypermanently united by the heat and pressure essential to the process ofvulcanization. Thus the sheet 11 and all other rubber parts arevulcanizable when rst assembled, but, in the completed shoe, arevulcanized together. The

tread surface of this shoe-bottom 14 is peculiar in two respects, asindicated in Fig. 2. The marginal portion of its tap-sole is notched lorscored with short, parallel, transverse channels ,0, in order to givegreater iiexibility to the sole and relieve the strain on said portionsin walking. Also the inclosed portion of the tread surface, indicated bythe elongated diamond forms d, is made somewhat crowning or higher alongits central line to give a cushioned or resilient tread and increasedwearing service as well as to avoid slipping. These features, whiledesirable in a` boot or shoe, are not herein claimed.

I claim as my invention: Y

1. A composite boot or shoe, com rising an upper, an inner sole, a feltmid e sole saturated and thoroughly coated with rubber cement, and arubber outsole constructed andarranged to cover the bottom surface andperipheral edge of said middle solez and stitching permanently unitingthe middle sole marginally to the inner sole and upper, Vthe variousparts of said shoe being unlted by vulcanization.

2. A composite boot or shoe, com rising an upper, an inner sole, a feltmid e sole and heel boss saturated and thorou hly` coated with rubbercement, and a ru ber ,outsole constructed and arranged to cover thebottom surface and peripheral edge of said middle sole, and stitchinguniting the middle sole marginally to the inner sole textile and feltedsoles and stitching uniting such soles marginally to the upper andlining and a shell-like rubber outsole constructed and arranged to coverthe bottom' surface and inclose the'peripheral edge of said feltedmiddle sole, the various parts being permanently united byvulcanization. In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature, inpresence of two witnesses. v

GEORGE F. BUTTERFIELD. Witnesses:

. A. H. SPENCER, A. I. Cnawronp.

